Special Topics Paper Summary

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As a librarian, I use various sources to stay on top of current trends. In the last several years TikTok has become my primary source. TikTok is a social media application employing a curated algorithm to present more videos aligning with users’ preferences. The hashtag #BookTok has gained prominence, constituting approximately 70% of my TikTok feed. #BookTok consists of average users reading and reviewing books. More often than not, users do not create a traditional review but usually describe how a book has made them feel. A current trend of doing silent book reviews has gained traction and helped authors get noticed without using any words at all.

According to Elizabeth Harris from The New York Times, #BookTok played a pivotal role in facilitating the sale of over 20 million books. She updated the article a year later and relieved a mind-boggling 50% increase in sales since the original publication (Harris). Even Publisher’s Weekly credits the boom in sales to TikTok by citing “Unit sales of adult print fiction books were up by 8.5% in 2022 over 2021” (Milliot). This surge in sales has changed the readers’ advisory landscape, publishing, and library work. It is more vital than ever for librarians and publishers to stay on top of trends to meet the evolving needs of their patrons while staying aware of controversies and issues that may emerge.

Some examples of authors going viral include young adult author Alex Aster, whose idea for the novel Lightlark went viral. After going viral, she got a book deal, and Universal Studios bought the rights to the movie, but the execution was not great. 

Of course, I remembered the TikTok author of the year, Rebecca Yarros. With the massive success of Fourth Wing, the sequel Iron Flame raised concerns all over TikTok. The publishing was rushed and TikTok users were not thrilled about the quality of writing. One article I read raised questions as to whether or not the publishing world was moving closer to the fast fashion industry. 

TikTok is great for staying on top of what books patrons are interested in and what books a library may need to have more copies of to meet the holds list demand. It is especially important when older books, like Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles, start to go viral too. It is over a decade old and still one of the most suggested books on TikTok. 

The impact of #BookTok is undeniable and shows TikTok’s ability to shape and redefine the readers’ advisory landscape. As a powerful force in promoting reading for pleasure and reviewing books, #BookTok has not only elevated new authors to the top of bestseller lists but older ones too. The popularity and influence of #BookTok is here to stay, promising to continue to transform the way readers discover, engage with, and celebrate literature. As we move forward, the vibrant and dynamic community fostered by #BookTok is set to continue playing a significant role in shaping readers’ advisory, publishing, and librarianship.

References 

Dolan, K. A. (n.d.). Meet The 27-Year-Old Latinx Entrepreneur Who Is Now Worth $220 Million. Forbes. Retrieved March 1, 2024, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/kerryadolan/2022/08/10/meet-the-27-year-old-latinx-entrepreneur-who-is-now-worth-220-million/

Haley Pham [@haleypham]. “Ib: Confessions of a bookseller.” TikTok, 5 December 2023, https://www.tiktok.com/@haleypham/video/7309231711718788398?_r=1&_t=8kKIJE7cDeA

Harris, E. A. (2022, July 1). How TikTok Became a Best-Seller Machine. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/01/books/tiktok-books-booktok.html

Hollerbach, C. (2023, August 29). You’ve Heard of TikTok, But Do You Know About BookTok And LibraryTok? - Public Libraries Online. Public Libraries Online - A Publication of the Public Library Association. https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2023/08/youve-heard-of-tiktok-but-do-you-know-about-booktok-and-librarytok/

Karl, J. (2023, November 8). TikTok Is Turning the Publishing World Into Fast Fashion. Bloomberg.Com. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-11-08/fourth-wing-and-iron-flame-author-rebecca-yarros-needs-a-reality-check

MIlliot, J. (n.d.). BookTok Helped Book Sales Soar. How Long Will That Last? PublishersWeekly.Com. Retrieved March 1, 2024, from https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/93014-booktok-helped-book-sales-soar-how-long-will-that-last.html

TikTok is taking the book industry by storm, and retailers are taking notice. (2021, July 6). NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tiktok-taking-book-industry-storm-retailers-are-taking-notice-n1272909

Untitled Red Tower Book Sold Out | TikTok. (n.d.). Retrieved March 3, 2024, from https://www.tiktok.com/discover/untitled-red-tower-book-sold-out

Wyatt, N., & Saricks, J. G. (2019). The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction (Third). ALA Editions.